Top 10: Twist Endings

Nothing beats a satisfying murder mystery, suspense-thriller or whodunit than an out-of-left-field shocker, otherwise known as the twist ending. Apart from deus ex machina, “it was all a dream,” and other slapped-on gimmicks that are just cheap cop outs for filmmakers, the true twist ending is something you never see coming and it makes an instant legend out of any B movie. Just when you think that you have the whole movie figured out, it quickly takes a turn and things just aren’t what they seemed to be.

Warning: This article contains spoilers, the early warning ruination of any twist flick. The good news for you, though, is that if you haven’t already seen all of these films, you’ve at least heard of them.

Number 10

Psycho - 1960

Psycho is practically the prototype for all great modern twists. This is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s later films and arguably his most recognizable. A young woman on the run with a stolen loot shacks up at the Bates Motel, and that’s the last time anyone sees her. Detectives tracking her end up at the motel managed by Norman Bates and his mother. Hitchcock builds his tension through very little action, lengthy scenes of dialogue and examinations of character and unique relationships.

The twist: At the end we finally meet Mrs. Bates and learn the depth of both Norman’s maternal attachment and his homicidal rage. There is a startling realization that even in the ‘60s there were stranger people than Ed Wood doing a bit of cross dressing.

Number 9

Planet of the Apes - 1968

Astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) gets lost in space and ends up on a planet that is run by talking apes. The good news is that there is an answer to the search for other intelligent life in the universe. The bad news is that they’re angry, distrustful war-mongering simians. How will our fateful hero escape this uncivilized world and get back to his home planet?

The twist: That’s a dilly of a pickle all right, but what always helps to think of solutions to complex problems is a nice, relaxing walk on the beach. Ah, that’s better. Wait! What’s that Statue of Liberty doing here? This was Earth all along. That’s some bitter irony, isn't it Captain?

Number 8

The Empire Strikes Back - 1980

It was a real watershed moment for children in 1980 when George Lucas threw his second installment at us. Luke was always a snotty little brat and we find out exactly why at the end of Empire. If you were anywhere in North America at the time, you could hear the collective sound of 10 million boys’ jaws dropping when their entire sense of right versus wrong went out with the bathwater.

The twist: Darth Vader finishes a lightsaber battle with Luke first by cutting his hand off and then by telling him “Who’s your daddy.” Worst case of dead-beat dad I’ve ever seen: no child support, pressure to join the Dark Side, never took Luke fishing, cut off his hand, never sent birthday cards, and killed his friends.

Edward Norton makes two appearances and we’d rather see Costner in The Wicker Man...